After wrapping up his trip to Haiti, President Ma Ying-jeou led the Forever Rising Project delegation to the next stop on their visit to the ROC's Latin American allies, arriving at a military airport near the Nicaraguan capital of Managua at 8:10 a.m. on July 15 local time (10:10 p.m. July 15 Taipei time).
After the president's chartered aircraft came to a halt, the ROC Ambassador to Nicaragua Rolando Jer-ming Chuang (莊哲銘) and Nicaragua's Presidential Protocol Officer Roberto Quant boarded the plane to welcome him. Nicaraguan Presidential Delegate for Investment Alvaro Baltodano was waiting on the tarmac next to the plane, and then escorted President Ma down a red carpet where he was greeted with military honors. Among those on hand to extend a cordial welcome to the ROC delegation were Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega Saavedra's eldest son Rafael Ortega, Minister of Development, Industry and Trade Rolando Solorzano, and Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources Juana Argenal.
In remarks at the airport, President Ma stated that this is his second visit to Nicaragua, having first visited in 2009. He went on to say that the ROC and Nicaragua have a stable alliance, and for many years Nicaragua has experienced development and rapid progress under the diligent and caring leadership of President Ortega. President Ma also said that during this trip he hopes to exchange opinions with President Ortega on continuing and further deepening bilateral cooperation. Meanwhile, leaders of various ROC government agencies, lawmakers, and business leaders will also interact with their counterparts in Nicaragua, working jointly to promote bilateral cooperation, he said.
President Ma then went by motorcade to visit Alpha Textil De Nicaragua S. A., a subsidiary of Taiwan's Nien Hsing Textile Co., Ltd. After listening to a briefing on the company, the president commented that Nicaragua enjoys a low crime rate, has hard-working people, and is comparatively closer to the US market. Taiwanese enterprises have invested in Nicaragua since the 1990s and these investments have been successful. President Ma hopes in the future even more companies from Taiwan will engage in business there.
The president also noted that bilateral economic and trade relations have been significantly enhanced since the ROC-Nicaragua Free Trade Agreement took effect in 2008, and by 2014 Nicaragua's exports to Taiwan had risen by 160%. He stated that the ROC government will continue to further expand opportunities for mutual cooperation.
After completing his visit to Alpha Textil, the president led his delegation to meet with President Ortega and other government officials. The two sides exchanged opinions on matters of mutual interest, and following the meeting the two leaders explained the issues on which they had reached consensus, and the prospects for future cooperation.
President Ma said that the two leaders reached consensus on a number of issues over the nearly two-hour meeting. During the discussions, the Nicaraguan government expressed its hope that the ROC would assist in training irrigation and agricultural technicians. The two sides agreed to first clarify the exact needs and the assistance that the ROC could provide, after which a recruitment and training project would be promoted. With respect to President Ortega's hope to construct a new port on the Atlantic coast, President Ma explained that Nicaragua has not requested that the ROC provide funding for the project, but rather assistance in planning. He has asked the Nicaraguan government to provide related information to the ROC through its embassy there so that the proposal can be evaluated in Taiwan, following which a decision would be made.
President Ma then expressed his gratitude to President and Mrs. Ortega for their concern about the recent powder explosion at the Formosa Fun Coast water park in northern Taiwan. He also invited President and Mrs. Ortega to visit the ROC before the end of this year to further strengthen the alliance between the two countries.